Emilie Johnson, Senior, Point Guard, UC Santa Barbara
Overview:
As a freshman at UCSB Emilie Johnson was more of a shooter off of the bench than a point guard, but that would change soon. During the 2008-2009 campaign Johnson emerged as the team’s super sub after starting the first 11 games of the season and provided a nice spark with her outside shooting ability. By her sophomore season Johnson was a full-time starter and the team’s go-to-scorer. On the year she led the Gauchos with 13.8 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. On top of that she knocked down two long balls per contest.
As an upperclassman Johnson emerged as the leader on the floor. She again led the team in scoring and again knocked down two three-pointers per contest. More importantly, the year of experience running the point did wonders for her ability to run a team. She drastically cut down her turnover numbers and turned into a pure point guard who can also shoot.
Final Projection:
Johnson, a 5-6 Loomis, California native, still has room to improve. A large chunk of her scoring does come from long range, but she can be a streaky shooter at times. She can sneak her way into the paint and finish or find her teammates, but it is Johnson’s outside shooting that makes her a dangerous offense weapon. When she is hot, she can put up big numbers in the scoring column, but when her shot is not falling the opposition can sit back a little bit and have a much easier time defending her.
